US20210088559A1 - Method and apparatus for measuring the current circulating through a conductor - Google Patents
Method and apparatus for measuring the current circulating through a conductor Download PDFInfo
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- US20210088559A1 US20210088559A1 US17/029,399 US202017029399A US2021088559A1 US 20210088559 A1 US20210088559 A1 US 20210088559A1 US 202017029399 A US202017029399 A US 202017029399A US 2021088559 A1 US2021088559 A1 US 2021088559A1
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- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01R—MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES
- G01R19/00—Arrangements for measuring currents or voltages or for indicating presence or sign thereof
- G01R19/0092—Arrangements for measuring currents or voltages or for indicating presence or sign thereof measuring current only
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- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01R—MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES
- G01R15/00—Details of measuring arrangements of the types provided for in groups G01R17/00 - G01R29/00, G01R33/00 - G01R33/26 or G01R35/00
- G01R15/14—Adaptations providing voltage or current isolation, e.g. for high-voltage or high-current networks
- G01R15/24—Adaptations providing voltage or current isolation, e.g. for high-voltage or high-current networks using light-modulating devices
- G01R15/245—Adaptations providing voltage or current isolation, e.g. for high-voltage or high-current networks using light-modulating devices using magneto-optical modulators, e.g. based on the Faraday or Cotton-Mouton effect
- G01R15/246—Adaptations providing voltage or current isolation, e.g. for high-voltage or high-current networks using light-modulating devices using magneto-optical modulators, e.g. based on the Faraday or Cotton-Mouton effect based on the Faraday, i.e. linear magneto-optic, effect
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- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01R—MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES
- G01R15/00—Details of measuring arrangements of the types provided for in groups G01R17/00 - G01R29/00, G01R33/00 - G01R33/26 or G01R35/00
- G01R15/14—Adaptations providing voltage or current isolation, e.g. for high-voltage or high-current networks
- G01R15/24—Adaptations providing voltage or current isolation, e.g. for high-voltage or high-current networks using light-modulating devices
- G01R15/247—Details of the circuitry or construction of devices covered by G01R15/241 - G01R15/246
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- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01R—MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES
- G01R33/00—Arrangements or instruments for measuring magnetic variables
- G01R33/02—Measuring direction or magnitude of magnetic fields or magnetic flux
- G01R33/032—Measuring direction or magnitude of magnetic fields or magnetic flux using magneto-optic devices, e.g. Faraday or Cotton-Mouton effect
- G01R33/0322—Measuring direction or magnitude of magnetic fields or magnetic flux using magneto-optic devices, e.g. Faraday or Cotton-Mouton effect using the Faraday or Voigt effect
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- G—PHYSICS
- G02—OPTICS
- G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- G02B27/00—Optical systems or apparatus not provided for by any of the groups G02B1/00 - G02B26/00, G02B30/00
- G02B27/10—Beam splitting or combining systems
- G02B27/106—Beam splitting or combining systems for splitting or combining a plurality of identical beams or images, e.g. image replication
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- G—PHYSICS
- G02—OPTICS
- G02F—OPTICAL DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF LIGHT BY MODIFICATION OF THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIA OF THE ELEMENTS INVOLVED THEREIN; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; FREQUENCY-CHANGING OF LIGHT; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS
- G02F1/00—Devices or arrangements for the control of the intensity, colour, phase, polarisation or direction of light arriving from an independent light source, e.g. switching, gating or modulating; Non-linear optics
- G02F1/01—Devices or arrangements for the control of the intensity, colour, phase, polarisation or direction of light arriving from an independent light source, e.g. switching, gating or modulating; Non-linear optics for the control of the intensity, phase, polarisation or colour
- G02F1/0136—Devices or arrangements for the control of the intensity, colour, phase, polarisation or direction of light arriving from an independent light source, e.g. switching, gating or modulating; Non-linear optics for the control of the intensity, phase, polarisation or colour for the control of polarisation, e.g. state of polarisation [SOP] control, polarisation scrambling, TE-TM mode conversion or separation
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- G—PHYSICS
- G02—OPTICS
- G02F—OPTICAL DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF LIGHT BY MODIFICATION OF THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIA OF THE ELEMENTS INVOLVED THEREIN; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; FREQUENCY-CHANGING OF LIGHT; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS
- G02F1/00—Devices or arrangements for the control of the intensity, colour, phase, polarisation or direction of light arriving from an independent light source, e.g. switching, gating or modulating; Non-linear optics
- G02F1/01—Devices or arrangements for the control of the intensity, colour, phase, polarisation or direction of light arriving from an independent light source, e.g. switching, gating or modulating; Non-linear optics for the control of the intensity, phase, polarisation or colour
- G02F1/09—Devices or arrangements for the control of the intensity, colour, phase, polarisation or direction of light arriving from an independent light source, e.g. switching, gating or modulating; Non-linear optics for the control of the intensity, phase, polarisation or colour based on magneto-optical elements, e.g. exhibiting Faraday effect
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- G—PHYSICS
- G02—OPTICS
- G02F—OPTICAL DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF LIGHT BY MODIFICATION OF THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIA OF THE ELEMENTS INVOLVED THEREIN; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; FREQUENCY-CHANGING OF LIGHT; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS
- G02F2201/00—Constructional arrangements not provided for in groups G02F1/00 - G02F7/00
- G02F2201/02—Constructional arrangements not provided for in groups G02F1/00 - G02F7/00 fibre
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- G—PHYSICS
- G02—OPTICS
- G02F—OPTICAL DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF LIGHT BY MODIFICATION OF THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIA OF THE ELEMENTS INVOLVED THEREIN; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; FREQUENCY-CHANGING OF LIGHT; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS
- G02F2201/00—Constructional arrangements not provided for in groups G02F1/00 - G02F7/00
- G02F2201/20—Constructional arrangements not provided for in groups G02F1/00 - G02F7/00 delay line
Definitions
- the present invention relates to optical fiber-based current measuring equipment for measuring the current circulating through a conductor, and to a method for measuring the current circulating through a conductor with optical fiber-based current measuring equipment.
- Optical fiber-based sensors for measuring the current circulating through a conductor are known. Said sensors work according to the Faraday effect, i.e., the magnetic field generated by the current circulating through the conductor causes a rotation in the polarization of light circulating through the optical fiber arranged around the conductor.
- the operation of optical fiber-based measuring equipment consists of emitting light through an optical fiber towards a sensing portion in which the characteristics of the light are modified depending on the current circulating through the conductor, and analyzing the rotation caused in the polarization of light to determine the magnitude of the current passing through the conductor.
- WO2016198575A1 belonging to the same applicant and incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, describes optical fiber-based current measuring equipment and an associated method.
- the current measuring equipment comprises an interrogator with an emitter and a receiver, and a sensing portion close to the conductor.
- the interrogator and the sensing portion are suitable for being connected through a standard single-mode intermediate fiber.
- the patent document describes several ways for implementing both the interrogator and the sensing portion.
- the sensing portion comprises a first branch comprising a first polarizer and a fiber twist after said first polarizer, a second branch comprising a second polarizer, and a sensing branch comprising a sensing section arranged in the proximity of the conductor and a mirror.
- the first branch and the second branch are coupled to the sensing branch by means of a splitter.
- the pulses emitted by the emitter are received in the sensing branch through the first branch, whereas the pulses modified depending on the current circulating through the conductor are received by the receiver from the second branch.
- optical fiber-based current measuring equipment for measuring the current circulating through at least one conductor
- a method for measuring the current circulating through at least one conductor with optical fiber-based measuring equipment Disclosed is optical fiber-based current measuring equipment for measuring the current circulating through at least one conductor, and a method for measuring the current circulating through at least one conductor with optical fiber-based measuring equipment.
- a first aspect of the invention relates to optical fiber-based measuring equipment for measuring the current circulating through at least one conductor.
- the measuring equipment comprises an interrogator comprising a first emitter, a second emitter, a first receiver, and a second receiver.
- the measuring equipment also comprises a sensing portion connected to the interrogator and configured for being arranged in the proximity of the conductor.
- the sensing portion comprises a first input branch comprising a first polarizer and a fiber twist after said first polarizer, and a second input branch comprising a second polarizer.
- the sensing portion also comprises a first sensing branch comprising a first optical fiber winding arranged in the proximity of the conductor and a first Faraday mirror, and a second sensing branch comprising a second optical fiber winding arranged in the proximity of the conductor, a second Faraday mirror, and a delaying element between the second optical fiber winding and the second Faraday mirror.
- the first input branch and the second input branch are coupled to the first sensing branch and to the second sensing branch by means of a splitter.
- the first optical fiber winding and the second optical fiber winding comprise the same number of turns that are, however, wound in opposite directions.
- the two optical fiber windings have the same length but are arranged opposite one another, they exhibit the same response in the deviation of light polarization, but in phase opposition, i.e., with a 180-degree offset.
- This configuration allows determining the current circulating through the conductor in a very precise manner, particularly in values in which the current circulating through the conductor is low, and therefore the signal/noise ratio is high, given that this configuration allows for good noise cancelation without having to use filters to eliminate said noise.
- obtaining very good noise elimination offers very good measurements of the conductors through which direct current circulates and in which filters cannot be used.
- a second aspect of the invention relates to a method for measuring the current circulating through a conductor with current measuring equipment like the one described above.
- the first emitter emits a first signal which reaches the first sensing branch through the first input branch, travels along the first sensing branch and is modified depending on the current circulating through the conductor, and is received by the second receiver from the second input branch.
- the second emitter emits a second signal which reaches the first sensing branch through the second input branch, travels along the first sensing branch and is modified depending on the current circulating through the conductor, and is received by the first receiver from the first input branch.
- the first signal also reaches the second sensing branch through the first input branch, and the second signal also reaches the second sensing branch through the second input branch.
- the first signal and the second signal travel along said second sensing branch and are modified depending on the current circulating through the conductor.
- the second receiver receives from the second input branch the first signal modified in the second sensing branch, the first receiver also receiving from the first input branch the second signal modified in the second sensing branch.
- the current circulating through the conductor is determined by combining the first signal modified in the first sensing branch and received by the second receiver, the second signal modified in the first sensing branch and received by the first receiver, the first signal modified in the second sensing branch and received by the second receiver, and the second signal modified in the second sensing branch and received by the first receiver.
- FIG. 1 schematically shows optical fiber-based current measuring equipment according to a first embodiment.
- FIG. 2 schematically shows optical fiber-based current measuring equipment according to a second embodiment.
- FIG. 3 schematically shows optical fiber-based current measuring equipment according to a third embodiment.
- FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of the optical fiber-based current measuring equipment 1 for measuring the current circulating through a conductor 4 .
- the measuring equipment 1 comprises an interrogator 2 comprising a first emitter 20 and a second emitter 21 .
- the interrogator 2 also comprises a first receiver 22 and a second receiver 23 .
- the measuring equipment 1 comprises a sensing portion 3 connected to the interrogator 2 and configured for being arranged in the proximity of the conductor 4 .
- the sensing portion 3 comprises a first input branch 30 comprising a first polarizer 300 and a fiber twist 301 after said first polarizer 300 .
- the first polarizer 300 is a linear polarizer filtering the input signal allowing only a specific oscillation direction of the electric field of the light to go through.
- the first polarizer 300 only allows the part of the signal oscillating at 0 degrees to go through.
- the fiber twist 301 is a geometric rotator which is obtained by means of twisting the fiber 302 connecting the first polarizer 300 to the splitter 34 .
- the sensing portion 3 also comprises a second input branch 31 comprising a second polarizer 310 .
- said second polarizer 310 is a linear polarizer filtering the input signal allowing only a specific oscillation direction of the electric field of the light to go through.
- the second polarizer 310 only allows the part of the signal oscillating at 0 degrees to go through.
- the sensing portion 3 also comprises a first sensing branch 32 comprising a first optical fiber winding 320 arranged in the proximity of the conductor 4 and a first Faraday mirror 321 .
- the sensing portion 3 comprises a second sensing branch 33 comprising a second optical fiber winding 330 arranged in the proximity of the conductor 4 , a second Faraday mirror 331 , and a delaying element 332 between the second optical fiber winding 330 and the second Faraday mirror 331 .
- the delaying element 332 of the second sensing branch 33 is necessary so that the first receiver 22 and the second receiver 23 can differentiate the signal received from the first sensing branch 32 from the signal received from the second sensing branch 33 , i.e., it allows managing the signals received in the receivers 22 and 23 of the interrogator 2 .
- the delaying element 332 consists of arranging a length of additional fiber between the second optical fiber winding 330 and the second Faraday mirror 331 , such that the signals circulating through said second sensing branch 33 travel along a distance greater than the distances they travel along the first sensing branch 32 , the signals travelling along the second sensing branch 33 reaching the receivers 22 and 23 of the interrogator 2 with an offset with respect to the signals travelling along the first sensing branch 32 .
- the delaying element 332 by way of an additional fiber arranged between the second optical fiber winding 330 and the Faraday mirror 331 does not affect the measurement of the current circulating through the conductor 4 . Furthermore, using Faraday mirrors causes the response of the first optical fiber winding 320 and of the second optical fiber winding 330 to stabilize, improving calculation of the current of the conductor 4 .
- the sensing portion 3 also comprises a splitter 34 coupling the first input branch 30 and the second input branch 31 to the first sensing branch 32 and to the second sensing branch 33 .
- the splitter 34 of the first embodiment is a splitter 34 comprising two inputs 340 and 341 and two outputs 342 and 343 .
- the first input branch 30 of the sensing portion 3 is connected to the first input 340 of the splitter 34
- the second input branch 31 is connected to the second input 341 of the splitter 34
- the first sensing branch 32 is connected to the first output 342 of the splitter 34
- the second sensing branch 33 is connected to the second output 343 of the splitter 34 .
- the splitter 34 splits the power of said first signal in two, with the first signal exiting through each of the outputs 342 and 343 of the splitter 34 , but with half the power.
- the splitter 34 splits the power of said second signal in two, with the second signal exiting through each of the outputs 342 and 343 of the splitter 34 , but with half the power.
- the operation of said splitter 34 is the same, splitting the power of said modified signal in two, with the modified signal exiting through each of the inputs 340 and 341 of the splitter 34 , but with half the power.
- the splitter 34 splits the power of said modified signal in two, with the modified signal exiting through each of the inputs 340 and 341 of the splitter 34 , but with half the power.
- the first optical fiber winding 320 of the first sensing branch 32 and the second optical fiber winding 330 of the second sensing branch 33 comprise the same number of turns that are, however, wound in opposite directions. In other words, one of the optical fiber windings will be wound clockwise, whereas the other optical fiber winding will be wound anticlockwise, obtaining a sensing portion comprising two optical fiber windings of the same length but arranged opposite one another. Since the first optical fiber winding 320 and the second optical fiber winding 330 have the same length, they exhibit the same response in the deviation of light polarization, but since the windings are arranged in opposite directions, said responses are in phase opposition, i.e., they are offset by 180 degrees.
- This configuration allows determining the current circulating through the conductor 4 in a very precise manner, particularly at values in which the current circulating through the conductor 4 is low and therefore the signal/noise ratio is high, given that this configuration allows for good noise cancelation without having to use filters to eliminate said noise. Likewise, obtaining good noise elimination offers very good measurements of the conductors 4 through which direct current circulates and in which filters cannot be used. Furthermore, by processing the signals obtained in the first receiver 22 and in the second receiver 23 , it is possible to obtain a precise calculation of the fiber twist 301 of the first input branch 30 and of the attenuations ⁇ 1 , ⁇ 2 , ⁇ m1 , and ⁇ m2 caused by the different connection fibers of the measuring equipment 1 .
- the interrogator 2 comprises a first circulator 24 connecting the first emitter 20 and the first receiver 22 of the interrogator 2 to the first input branch 30 of the sensing portion 3 . Furthermore, in this first embodiment the first circulator 24 and the first input branch 30 of the sensing portion 3 are connected through a first intermediate fiber 60 , as observed in FIG. 1 .
- the first circulator 24 therefore couples the signal emitted by the first emitter 20 to the first input branch 30 of the sensing portion 3 through the first intermediate fiber 60 .
- the first circulator 24 also couples the signal modified in the sensing portion 3 to the first receiver 22 through the first intermediate fiber 60 .
- the interrogator 2 comprises a second circulator 25 connecting the second emitter 21 and the second receiver 23 of the interrogator 2 to the second input branch 31 of the sensing portion 3 .
- the second circulator 25 and the second input branch 31 of the sensing portion 3 are connected through a second intermediate fiber 61 , as observed in FIG. 1 .
- the second circulator 25 therefore couples the signal emitted by the second emitter 21 to the second input branch 31 of the sensing portion 3 through the second intermediate fiber 61 .
- the second circulator 25 also couples the signal modified in the sensing portion 3 to the second receiver 23 through the second intermediate fiber 61 .
- the first intermediate fiber 60 and the second intermediate fiber 61 are standard single-mode (SM) fibers.
- SM single-mode
- the first emitter 20 and the second emitter 21 of the interrogator 2 are configured for emitting signals comprising a set of at least two polarized light pulses, said polarized pulses having a specific difference in degrees.
- the first emitter 20 and the second emitter 21 of the interrogator 2 can be of any type described in patent document WO2016198575A1 or of any other type known to the person skilled in the art and complying with the requirements described above.
- these fibers can vary the characteristics of the light signal emitted from the emitter, for example in the polarization thereof.
- Said intermediate fibers can modify light polarization due to different aspects, such as the temperature of said fibers, the vibrations they undergo, etc.
- the emission of signals made up of sets of at least two polarized light pulses, said polarized pulses having a specific difference in degrees, means that the measuring equipment can compensate for alterations in polarization caused by the intermediate fibers.
- the polarized light pulses of the set of pulses can be simultaneous or can be emitted within a small time interval between said pulses, given that it is thereby assured that the behavior of the intermediate fiber is the same for all the pulses of the set of pulses. Therefore, as explained in patent document WO2016198575A1, since the characteristics of the intermediate fiber do not affect current measurement, an intermediate fiber of the required length can be used. It is therefore possible to arrange the sensing portion 3 and the interrogator 2 at a distance of several kilometers without the measurement being affected by said intermediate fibers 60 and 61 . The current of conductors located in remote sites can therefore be measured without having to arrange the interrogator 2 in said locations which may not comply with the requirements necessary for the operation of said interrogators, for example, or may not have a reliable power supply.
- the first input branch 30 of the sensing portion 3 comprises a fiber twist 301 .
- said fiber twist 301 is about 45 degrees.
- EP18196585.6 belonging to the same applicant and incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, with a 45-degree rotation the quadratic terms of the signals used for calculating the current circulating through the conductor 4 are cancelled. Therefore, the sensitivity of the measuring equipment 1 is maximized, in addition to providing phase information.
- the fiber 312 connecting the second polarizer 310 to the splitter 34 does not provide any rotation to the signal going through same.
- the second input branch may comprise an additional fiber twist after the second polarizer, the sum of the fiber twist of the first input branch and the additional fiber twist of the second input branch preferably being about 45 degrees.
- the first emitter 20 emits a first signal which reaches the first sensing branch 32 through the first input branch 30 , travels along said first sensing branch 32 and is modified depending on the current circulating through the conductor 4 , and is received by the second receiver 23 from the second input branch 31 .
- the second emitter 21 emits a second signal which reaches the first sensing branch 32 through the second input branch 31 , travels along the first sensing branch 32 and is modified depending on the current circulating through the conductor 4 , and is received by the first receiver 22 from the first input branch 30 .
- said first signal emitted by the first emitter 20 also reaches the second sensing branch 33 through the first input branch 30
- said second signal emitted by the second emitter 21 also reaches the second sensing branch 33 through the second input branch 31 .
- the first signal and the second signal travel along said second sensing branch 33 and are modified depending on the current circulating through the conductor 4 .
- the second receiver 23 receives from the second input branch 31 the first signal modified in the second sensing branch 33
- the first receiver 22 receives from the first input branch 30 the second signal modified in the second sensing branch 33 .
- the current circulating through the conductor 4 is determined by combining the first signal modified in the first sensing branch 32 and received by the second receiver 23 , the second signal modified in the first sensing branch 32 and received by the first receiver 22 , the first signal modified in the second sensing branch 33 and received by the second receiver 23 , and the second signal modified in the second sensing branch 33 and received by the first receiver 22 .
- self signal will be considered that signal which is emitted by the first emitter 20 and received by the first receiver 22 after being reflected in the sensing portion 3 , and that signal which is emitted by the second emitter 21 and received by the second receiver 23 after being reflected in the sensing portion 3 .
- cross signal will be considered that signal which is emitted by the first emitter 20 and received by the second receiver 23 after being reflected in the sensing portion 3 , and that signal which is emitted by the second emitter 21 and received by the first receiver 22 after being reflected in the sensing portion 3 .
- cross signals are used for determining the current circulating through the conductor 4 , whereas self signals, which will also reach the first receiver 22 and the second receiver 23 , are rejected.
- the first receiver 22 and the second receiver 23 comprise a respective photodiode.
- the first receiver 22 will receive the second signal modified in the first sensing branch 32 and in the second sensing branch 33
- the second receiver 23 will receive the first signal modified in the first sensing branch 32 and in the second sensing branch 33 .
- the photodiodes convert light into intensity, such that the control unit, not shown in the drawings, can determine the current circulating through the conductor 4 by processing and combining the intensity it receives from the photodiode of the first receiver 22 and the intensity it receives from the photodiode of the second receiver 23 .
- R 12 ⁇ m1 P 12 [cos 2 (2 ⁇ )sin 2 ⁇ d + ⁇ 2 sin 2 (2 ⁇ )cos 2 ⁇ d ⁇ 2 ⁇ sin(2 ⁇ )cos(2 ⁇ )cos ⁇ d sin ⁇ d ]
- R 21 ⁇ m1 P 21 [cos 2 (2 ⁇ )sin 2 ⁇ d + ⁇ 2 sin 2 (2 ⁇ )cos 2 ⁇ d +2 ⁇ sin(2 ⁇ )cos(2 ⁇ )cos ⁇ d sin ⁇ d ]
- R12 The light intensity measured by the second receiver 23 relative to the first signal modified in the first sensing branch 32 .
- R21 The light intensity measured by the first receiver 22 relative to the second signal modified in the first sensing branch 32 .
- Q12 The light intensity measured by the second receiver 23 relative to the first signal modified in the second sensing branch 33 .
- Q21 The light intensity measured by the first receiver 22 relative to the second signal modified in the second sensing branch 33 .
- ⁇ m1 The attenuation of the first sensing branch 32 .
- ⁇ m2 The attenuation of the second sensing branch 33 .
- P 1 Power of the light emitted by the first emitter 20
- ⁇ 1 Attenuation of fibers 60 and 302
- ⁇ 2 Attenuation of fibers 312 and 61
- R 2 Receiving gain of the second receiver 23 .
- V Verdet constant of the optical fiber at the working wavelength
- the error term has a double-zero coefficient ( ⁇ m1 ⁇ m2 )(P 12 ⁇ P 21 ). Therefore, if it is assumed that ( ⁇ m1 ⁇ m2 )(P 12 ⁇ P 21 ) ⁇ 0, the following final calculations for the signal are obtained:
- value B relative to the magnetic field generated around the conductor 4 can be obtained, and therefore the intensity circulating through said conductor 4 can be determined in a very precise manner.
- the current measurement depends on the fiber twist 301 .
- the value of the fiber twist 301 is defined in the manufacturing process, but it can undergo small variations during use of the measuring equipment 1 . For this reason, if there is a need to perform a very precise calculation of the current of the conductor 4 , it is advisable to gradually adapt the value of said fiber twist 301 to prevent error terms from being generated. Said value can also be calculated by means of the two cross signals which have been modified in the first optical fiber winding 320 of the first sensing branch 32 .
- first optical fiber winding 320 and the second optical fiber winding 330 have the same length, they exhibit the same response in the deviation of light polarization, but in phase opposition. Therefore, instead of having two cross signals to perform calculation of the current like in the case of document EP18196585.6, 4 cross signals are obtained, from which a more precise calculation of the current circulating through the conductor 4 can be obtained, given that the error term has a double-zero coefficient ( ⁇ m1 ⁇ m2 )(P 12 ⁇ P 21 ). Furthermore, having these four cross signals allows performing a good assessment of the attenuations of the connection fibers and the attenuations of the sensing branches, and it also allows adjusting the fiber twist 301 . A very precise current measurement with a high dynamic range is thus obtained.
- both the signal emitted by the first emitter 20 and the signal emitted by the second emitter 21 is a signal made up of a set of at least two polarized light pulses, said polarized pulses having a specific difference in degrees, said difference in polarization preferably being 90 degrees.
- the emission of signals of this type allows compensating for possible changes in light polarization caused by the intermediate fibers 60 and 61 joining the interrogator 2 with the sensing portion 3 .
- FIG. 2 shows a second embodiment of the measuring equipment 1 .
- the measuring equipment 1 of the second embodiment differs from the measuring equipment 1 of the first embodiment in that the sensing portion 3 also comprises an output branch 35 .
- Said output branch 35 is coupled to the first input branch 30 and the second input branch 31 by means of the splitter 34 .
- the rest of the configuration of the measuring equipment 1 is similar to that of the first embodiment so it is not considered necessary to describe it again.
- the output branch 35 of this second embodiment is configured for returning the same signal it receives to the splitter 34 . Therefore, signals from the first input branch 30 and the second input branch 31 reach the output branch 35 through the splitter 34 , are reflected in the output branch 35 , and return to the first input branch 30 and the second input branch 31 through the splitter 34 .
- the signals reflected in the output branch 35 and received in the first receiver 22 and second receiver 23 allow adjusting some parameters required for performing a precise calculation of the current circulating through the conductor 4 in a more direct manner than by adjusting said values using only the cross signals of the first sensing branch 32 and the second sensing branch 33 .
- the output branch 35 offers additional information for an even better adjustment of the different parameters when calculating the current circulating through the conductor 4 , improving the dynamic range of the measuring equipment 1 .
- the output branch 35 For the output branch 35 to reflect/return the same signal it receives, one of the options would simply be to make a “clean” cut on the actual corresponding output terminal 344 of the splitter, such that said cut would cause the signal to rebound in the output terminal 343 due to the sudden change in the refractive index which said cut would cause. Another option would be to place a conventional mirror 350 , as shown in FIG. 2 .
- the signal can be returned in any other way known to the person skilled in the art, provided that the signal returned by the output branch is the same as the one received by said output branch.
- the measuring equipment comprises an output branch in addition to the two sensing branches
- the first sensing branch may comprise a delaying element between the first optical fiber winding and the first Faraday mirror, the delaying element of first the sensing branch and the delaying element of the second sensing branch being different from one another to enable the receivers of the interrogator to manage the signals from the sensing branches and the output branch.
- the delaying element between the first optical fiber winding 320 and the first Faraday mirror 321 is dispensable if the fiber with which said first optical fiber winding 320 is made is long enough so as to delay the signals travelling along said first sensing branch 32 as much as possible so that the receivers 22 and 23 of the interrogator 2 can manage the signals from the two sensing branches 23 and 33 and the output branch 35 , as shown in the embodiment of FIG. 2 .
- the first emitter 20 emits a first signal which reaches the first sensing branch 32 through the first input branch 30 , travels along said first sensing branch 32 and is modified depending on the current circulating through the conductor 4 , and is received by the second receiver 23 from the second input branch 31 .
- the second emitter 21 emits a second signal which reaches the first sensing branch 32 through the second input branch 31 , travels along the first sensing branch 32 and is modified depending on the current circulating through the conductor 4 , and is received by the first receiver 22 from the first input branch 30 .
- said first signal emitted by the first emitter 20 also reaches the second sensing branch 33 through the first input branch 30
- said second signal emitted by the second emitter 21 also reaches the second sensing branch 33 through the second input branch 31 .
- the first signal and the second signal travel along said second sensing branch 33 and are modified depending on the current circulating through the conductor 4 .
- the second receiver 23 receives from the second input branch 31 the first signal modified in the second sensing branch 33
- the first receiver 22 receives from the first input branch 30 the second signal modified in the second sensing branch 33 .
- the signal emitted by the first emitter 20 reaches the output branch 35 through the first input branch 30 , is reflected in said output branch 35 , and is received by the first receiver 22 from the first input branch 30 and by the second receiver 23 from the second input branch 31
- the signal emitted by the second emitter 21 reaches the output branch 35 through the second input branch 31 , is reflected in said output branch 35 , and is received by the first receiver 22 from the first input branch 30 and by the second receiver 23 from the second input branch 31 .
- the current circulating through the conductor 4 is determined by combining the first signal modified in the first sensing branch 32 and received by the second receiver 23 , the second signal modified in the first sensing branch 32 and received by the first receiver 22 , the first signal modified in the second sensing branch 33 and received by the second receiver 23 , and the second signal modified in the second sensing branch 33 and received by the first receiver 22 .
- This case involves the signals reflected in the output branch 35 in addition to the cross signals described in the first embodiment.
- both self signals and cross signals are used. These signals offer additional information for an even better adjustment of the different parameters while calculating the current, improving the dynamic range of the measuring equipment 1 .
- these signals can be used for adjusting variations in the fiber twist 301 through the following formula:
- E11 The light intensity measured by the first receiver 22 relative to the first signal reflected in the output branch 35 .
- E12 The light intensity measured by the second receiver 23 relative to the first signal reflected in the output branch 35 .
- E22 The light intensity measured by the second receiver 23 relative to the second signal reflected in the output branch 35 .
- E21 The light intensity measured by the first receiver 22 relative to the second signal reflected in the output branch 35 .
- the signals reflected in the output branch 35 can also be used for determining the attenuations ⁇ 1 , ⁇ 2 , ⁇ m1 , and ⁇ m2 caused by the different fibers of the measuring equipment 1 .
- FIG. 3 shows a third embodiment of the measuring equipment 1 .
- the measuring equipment 1 of the third embodiment comprises an interrogator 2 comprising a first emitter 20 and a second emitter 21 .
- the interrogator 2 also comprises a first receiver 22 and a second receiver 23 .
- the measuring equipment 1 of the third embodiment comprises a sensing portion 3 connected to the interrogator 2 and configured for being arranged in the proximity of the conductor 4 .
- the sensing portion 3 of this third embodiment comprises a first input branch 30 comprising a first polarizer 300 and a fiber twist 301 after said first polarizer 300 , and a second input branch 31 comprising a second polarizer 310 .
- the sensing portion 3 also comprises at least a first sensing branch 32 comprising a sensing section arranged in the proximity of the conductor 4 and a first Faraday mirror 321 .
- the sensing section of the sensing branch 32 is an optical fiber winding 320 arranged around the conductor 4 , as shown in FIG. 3 .
- the sensing section can be made in other ways known to the person skilled in the art.
- the first input branch 30 and the second input branch 31 are coupled to the sensing branch 32 by means of a splitter 34 .
- the sensing portion 3 of the third embodiment also comprises an output branch 35 coupled to the first input branch 30 and the second input branch 31 by means of the splitter 34 , said output branch 35 being configured for returning the same signal it receives to the splitter 34 .
- the output branch 35 of this configuration would be similar to the output branch 35 of the second embodiment shown in FIG. 2 described above.
- This third embodiment of the measuring equipment 1 allows obtaining a precise current measurement.
- having a first input branch 30 and a second input branch 31 allows performing a symmetrical reading in which, by combining the cross signals modified in the first sensing branch 32 , the quadratic terms of the signal are annulled, as explained in application EP18196585.6.
- the output branch 35 offers additional information for adjusting the fiber twist 301 and the attenuations ⁇ 1 , ⁇ 2 , and ⁇ m1 caused by the different connection fibers of the measuring equipment 1 , improving the dynamic range of the measuring equipment 1 .
- the first emitter 20 emits a first signal which reaches the first sensing branch 32 through the first input branch 30 , travels along said first sensing branch 32 and is modified depending on the current circulating through the conductor 4 , and is received by the second receiver 23 from the second input branch 31 .
- the second emitter 21 emits a second signal which reaches the first sensing branch 32 through the second input branch 31 , travels along the first sensing branch 32 and is modified depending on the current circulating through the conductor 4 , and is received by the first receiver 22 from the first input branch 30 .
- the signal emitted by the first emitter 20 reaches the output branch 35 through the first input branch 30 , is reflected in said output branch 35 , and is received by the first receiver 22 from the first input branch 30 and by the second receiver 23 from the second input branch 31
- the signal emitted by the second emitter 21 reaches the output branch 35 through the second input branch 31 , is reflected in the conventional mirror 350 , and is received by the first receiver 22 from the first input branch 30 and by the second receiver 23 from the second input branch 31 .
- the current circulating through the conductor 4 is determined by combining the first signal modified in the first sensing branch 32 and received by the second receiver 23 and the second signal modified in the first sensing branch 32 and received by the first receiver 22 .
- the signals reflected in the output branch 35 offer additional information for adjusting the different parameters while calculating the current, improving the dynamic range of the measuring equipment 1 .
- Optical fiber-based measuring equipment for measuring the current circulating through at least one conductor 4 , the measuring equipment 1 comprising
- an interrogator 2 comprising a first emitter 20 , a second emitter 21 , a first receiver 22 , and a second receiver 23 , and a sensing portion 3 connected to the interrogator 2 and configured for being arranged in the proximity of the conductor 4 , the sensing portion 3 comprising a first input branch 30 comprising a first polarizer 300 and a fiber twist 301 after said first polarizer 300 , a second input branch 31 comprising a second polarizer 310 , a first sensing branch 32 comprising a first optical fiber winding 320 configured for being arranged in the proximity of the conductor 4 and a first Faraday mirror 321 , and a second sensing branch 33 comprising a second optical fiber winding 330 configured for being arranged in the proximity of the conductor 4 , a second Faraday mirror 331 , and a delaying element 332 between the second optical fiber winding 330 and the second Faraday mirror 331 , the first input branch 30 and the second input branch 31 being coupled to
- Measuring equipment comprising an output branch 35 coupled to the first input branch 30 and the second input branch 31 by means of the splitter 34 , said output branch 35 being configured for returning the same signal it receives to the splitter 34 .
- an interrogator 2 comprising a first emitter 20 , a second emitter 21 , a first receiver 22 , and a second receiver 23 , and a sensing portion 3 connected to the interrogator 2 and configured for being arranged in the proximity of the conductor 4 , the sensing portion 3 comprising a first input branch 30 comprising a first polarizer 300 and a fiber twist 301 after said first polarizer 300 , a second input branch 31 comprising a second polarizer 310 , a first sensing branch 32 comprising a first optical fiber winding 320 arranged in the proximity of the conductor 4 and a first Faraday mirror 321 , and a second sensing branch 33 comprising a second optical fiber winding 330 arranged in the proximity of the conductor 4 , a second Faraday mirror 331 , and a delaying element 332 between the second optical fiber winding 330 and the second Faraday mirror 331 , the first input branch 30 and the second input branch 31 being coupled to the first sensing branch 32
- the sensing portion 3 comprises an output branch 35 configured for returning the same signal it receives, the first input branch 30 and the second input branch 31 also being coupled to the output branch 35 by means of a splitter 34 , wherein
- the signal emitted by the first emitter 20 reaches the output branch 35 through the first input branch 30 , is reflected in said output branch 35 , and is received by the first receiver 22 from the first input branch 30 and by the second receiver 23 from the second input branch 31 , and the signal emitted by the second emitter 21 reaches the output branch 35 through the second input branch 31 , is reflected in the conventional mirror 350 , and is received by the first receiver 22 from the first input branch 30 and by the second receiver 23 from the second input branch 31 , the signals reflected in the output branch 35 being used to enable continuously adjusting the value of the fiber twist 301 .
- Optical fiber-based measuring equipment for measuring the current circulating through at least one conductor 4 , the measuring equipment 1 comprising
- an interrogator 2 comprising a first emitter 20 , a second emitter 21 , a first receiver 22 , and a second receiver 23 , and a sensing portion 3 connected to the interrogator 2 and configured for being arranged in the proximity of the conductor 4
- the sensing portion 3 comprising a first input branch 30 comprising a first polarizer 300 and a fiber twist 301 after said first polarizer 300 , a second input branch 31 comprising a second polarizer 310 , and at least one sensing branch 32 comprising a sensing section arranged in the proximity of the conductor 4 and a Faraday mirror 321 , the first input branch 30 and the second input branch 31 being coupled to the sensing branch 32 by means of a splitter 34 , the sensing portion 3 also comprises an output branch 35 coupled to the first input branch 30 and the second input branch 31 by means of the splitter 34 , said output branch 35 being configured for returning the same signal it receives to the splitter 34 .
- the sensing portion 3 comprises a second sensing branch 33 comprising a second sensing section arranged in the proximity of the conductor 4 , a second Faraday mirror 331 , and a delaying element 332 between the second sensing section and the second Faraday mirror 331 , the first input branch 30 and the second input branch 31 being coupled to the second sensing branch 33 by means of the splitter 34 , the second sensing section of the second sensing branch 33 being a second optical fiber winding 330 arranged around the conductor 4 , the optical fiber winding 320 of the sensing section and the second optical fiber winding 330 of the second sensing section comprising the same number of turns that are, however, wound in opposite directions.
- an interrogator 2 comprising a first emitter 20 , a second emitter 21 , a first receiver 22 , and a second receiver 23 , and a sensing portion 3 connected to the interrogator 2 and configured for being arranged in the proximity of the conductor 4 , the sensing portion 3 comprising a first input branch 30 comprising a first polarizer 300 and a fiber twist 301 after said first polarizer 300 , a second input branch 31 comprising a second polarizer 310 , at least one sensing branch 32 comprising a sensing section arranged in the proximity of the conductor 4 and a Faraday mirror 321 , and an output branch 35 configured for returning the same signal it receives, the first input branch 30 and the second input branch 31 being coupled to the sensing branch 32 and to the output branch 35 by means of a splitter 34 , in the method the first emitter 20 emits a first signal which reaches the sensing branch 32 through the first input branch 30 , travels along the sensing branch 32 and is modified depending on the current
- the sensing portion 3 comprises a second sensing branch 33 comprising a second sensing section arranged in the proximity of the conductor 4 , a second Faraday mirror 331 , and a delaying element 332 between the second sensing section and the second Faraday mirror 331 , the first branch 30 and the second branch 31 being coupled to the second sensing branch 33 by means of a splitter 34 , the second sensing section being a second optical fiber winding 330 arranged around the conductor 4 , the optical fiber winding 320 of the sensing section and the second optical fiber winding 330 of the second sensing section comprising the same number of turns that are, however, wound in opposite directions, wherein
- the first signal also reaches the second sensing branch 33 through the first input branch 30
- the second signal also reaches the second sensing branch 33 through the second input branch 31
- the first signal and the second signal travel along said second sensing branch 33 and are modified depending on the current circulating through the conductor 4
- the second receiver 23 receives from the second input branch 31 the first signal modified in the second sensing branch 33
- the first receiver 22 also receiving from the first input branch 30 the second signal modified in the second sensing branch 33 , the current circulating through the conductor 4 being determined by combining the first signal modified in the sensing branch 32 and received by the second receiver 23 , the second signal modified in the sensing branch 32 and received by the first receiver 22 , the first signal modified in the second sensing branch 33 and received by the second receiver 23 , the second signal modified in the second sensing branch 33 and received by the first receiver 22 .
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Abstract
Description
- This application relates to and claims the benefit and priority to European Application No. 19382824.1, filed Sep. 25, 2019.
- The present invention relates to optical fiber-based current measuring equipment for measuring the current circulating through a conductor, and to a method for measuring the current circulating through a conductor with optical fiber-based current measuring equipment.
- Optical fiber-based sensors for measuring the current circulating through a conductor are known. Said sensors work according to the Faraday effect, i.e., the magnetic field generated by the current circulating through the conductor causes a rotation in the polarization of light circulating through the optical fiber arranged around the conductor. The operation of optical fiber-based measuring equipment consists of emitting light through an optical fiber towards a sensing portion in which the characteristics of the light are modified depending on the current circulating through the conductor, and analyzing the rotation caused in the polarization of light to determine the magnitude of the current passing through the conductor.
- WO2016198575A1, belonging to the same applicant and incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, describes optical fiber-based current measuring equipment and an associated method. The current measuring equipment comprises an interrogator with an emitter and a receiver, and a sensing portion close to the conductor. The interrogator and the sensing portion are suitable for being connected through a standard single-mode intermediate fiber. The patent document describes several ways for implementing both the interrogator and the sensing portion. In one of the embodiments, the sensing portion comprises a first branch comprising a first polarizer and a fiber twist after said first polarizer, a second branch comprising a second polarizer, and a sensing branch comprising a sensing section arranged in the proximity of the conductor and a mirror. The first branch and the second branch are coupled to the sensing branch by means of a splitter.
- In the method described for this embodiment, the pulses emitted by the emitter are received in the sensing branch through the first branch, whereas the pulses modified depending on the current circulating through the conductor are received by the receiver from the second branch.
- Disclosed is optical fiber-based current measuring equipment for measuring the current circulating through at least one conductor, and a method for measuring the current circulating through at least one conductor with optical fiber-based measuring equipment.
- A first aspect of the invention relates to optical fiber-based measuring equipment for measuring the current circulating through at least one conductor.
- The measuring equipment comprises an interrogator comprising a first emitter, a second emitter, a first receiver, and a second receiver.
- The measuring equipment also comprises a sensing portion connected to the interrogator and configured for being arranged in the proximity of the conductor.
- The sensing portion comprises a first input branch comprising a first polarizer and a fiber twist after said first polarizer, and a second input branch comprising a second polarizer.
- The sensing portion also comprises a first sensing branch comprising a first optical fiber winding arranged in the proximity of the conductor and a first Faraday mirror, and a second sensing branch comprising a second optical fiber winding arranged in the proximity of the conductor, a second Faraday mirror, and a delaying element between the second optical fiber winding and the second Faraday mirror.
- The first input branch and the second input branch are coupled to the first sensing branch and to the second sensing branch by means of a splitter.
- The first optical fiber winding and the second optical fiber winding comprise the same number of turns that are, however, wound in opposite directions. As the two optical fiber windings have the same length but are arranged opposite one another, they exhibit the same response in the deviation of light polarization, but in phase opposition, i.e., with a 180-degree offset. This configuration allows determining the current circulating through the conductor in a very precise manner, particularly in values in which the current circulating through the conductor is low, and therefore the signal/noise ratio is high, given that this configuration allows for good noise cancelation without having to use filters to eliminate said noise. Likewise, obtaining very good noise elimination offers very good measurements of the conductors through which direct current circulates and in which filters cannot be used. Furthermore, by processing the signals obtained in the first receiver and in the second receiver, it is possible to obtain a precise calculation of the fiber twist of the first input branch and of the attenuations caused by the different connection fibers of the measuring equipment.
- A second aspect of the invention relates to a method for measuring the current circulating through a conductor with current measuring equipment like the one described above.
- In the method of the invention, the first emitter emits a first signal which reaches the first sensing branch through the first input branch, travels along the first sensing branch and is modified depending on the current circulating through the conductor, and is received by the second receiver from the second input branch.
- The second emitter emits a second signal which reaches the first sensing branch through the second input branch, travels along the first sensing branch and is modified depending on the current circulating through the conductor, and is received by the first receiver from the first input branch.
- The first signal also reaches the second sensing branch through the first input branch, and the second signal also reaches the second sensing branch through the second input branch. The first signal and the second signal travel along said second sensing branch and are modified depending on the current circulating through the conductor.
- The second receiver receives from the second input branch the first signal modified in the second sensing branch, the first receiver also receiving from the first input branch the second signal modified in the second sensing branch.
- The current circulating through the conductor is determined by combining the first signal modified in the first sensing branch and received by the second receiver, the second signal modified in the first sensing branch and received by the first receiver, the first signal modified in the second sensing branch and received by the second receiver, and the second signal modified in the second sensing branch and received by the first receiver.
- By means of these four signals, a precise calculation of the current circulating through the conductor is obtained, with a high dynamic range.
- These and other advantages and features will become evident in view of the drawings and the detailed description.
-
FIG. 1 schematically shows optical fiber-based current measuring equipment according to a first embodiment. -
FIG. 2 schematically shows optical fiber-based current measuring equipment according to a second embodiment. -
FIG. 3 schematically shows optical fiber-based current measuring equipment according to a third embodiment. -
FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of the optical fiber-basedcurrent measuring equipment 1 for measuring the current circulating through a conductor 4. - The
measuring equipment 1 comprises aninterrogator 2 comprising afirst emitter 20 and asecond emitter 21. Theinterrogator 2 also comprises afirst receiver 22 and asecond receiver 23. - Furthermore, the
measuring equipment 1 comprises a sensing portion 3 connected to theinterrogator 2 and configured for being arranged in the proximity of the conductor 4. - The sensing portion 3 comprises a
first input branch 30 comprising afirst polarizer 300 and afiber twist 301 after saidfirst polarizer 300. Preferably, thefirst polarizer 300 is a linear polarizer filtering the input signal allowing only a specific oscillation direction of the electric field of the light to go through. Preferably, thefirst polarizer 300 only allows the part of the signal oscillating at 0 degrees to go through. Preferably, thefiber twist 301 is a geometric rotator which is obtained by means of twisting thefiber 302 connecting thefirst polarizer 300 to thesplitter 34. - The sensing portion 3 also comprises a
second input branch 31 comprising asecond polarizer 310. Preferably, saidsecond polarizer 310 is a linear polarizer filtering the input signal allowing only a specific oscillation direction of the electric field of the light to go through. Preferably, thesecond polarizer 310 only allows the part of the signal oscillating at 0 degrees to go through. - The sensing portion 3 also comprises a
first sensing branch 32 comprising a first optical fiber winding 320 arranged in the proximity of the conductor 4 and a first Faradaymirror 321. - Furthermore, the sensing portion 3 comprises a
second sensing branch 33 comprising a second optical fiber winding 330 arranged in the proximity of the conductor 4, a second Faradaymirror 331, and adelaying element 332 between the second optical fiber winding 330 and the second Faradaymirror 331. Thedelaying element 332 of thesecond sensing branch 33 is necessary so that thefirst receiver 22 and thesecond receiver 23 can differentiate the signal received from thefirst sensing branch 32 from the signal received from thesecond sensing branch 33, i.e., it allows managing the signals received in thereceivers interrogator 2. Preferably, thedelaying element 332 consists of arranging a length of additional fiber between the second optical fiber winding 330 and the second Faradaymirror 331, such that the signals circulating through saidsecond sensing branch 33 travel along a distance greater than the distances they travel along thefirst sensing branch 32, the signals travelling along thesecond sensing branch 33 reaching thereceivers interrogator 2 with an offset with respect to the signals travelling along thefirst sensing branch 32. Since themirrors sensing branches delaying element 332 by way of an additional fiber arranged between the second optical fiber winding 330 and the Faradaymirror 331 does not affect the measurement of the current circulating through the conductor 4. Furthermore, using Faraday mirrors causes the response of the first optical fiber winding 320 and of the second optical fiber winding 330 to stabilize, improving calculation of the current of the conductor 4. - The sensing portion 3 also comprises a
splitter 34 coupling thefirst input branch 30 and thesecond input branch 31 to thefirst sensing branch 32 and to thesecond sensing branch 33. - As observed in
FIG. 1 , thesplitter 34 of the first embodiment is asplitter 34 comprising twoinputs outputs first input branch 30 of the sensing portion 3 is connected to thefirst input 340 of thesplitter 34, thesecond input branch 31 is connected to thesecond input 341 of thesplitter 34, thefirst sensing branch 32 is connected to thefirst output 342 of thesplitter 34, and thesecond sensing branch 33 is connected to thesecond output 343 of thesplitter 34. When a first signal emitted by thefirst emitter 20 reaches thefirst input 340 of thesplitter 34, thesplitter 34 splits the power of said first signal in two, with the first signal exiting through each of theoutputs splitter 34, but with half the power. Similarly, when a second signal emitted by thesecond emitter 21 reaches thesecond input 341 of thesplitter 34, thesplitter 34 splits the power of said second signal in two, with the second signal exiting through each of theoutputs splitter 34, but with half the power. When a signal circulates in the opposite direction, i.e., when the first signal or the second signal modified in thefirst sensing branch 32 reaches thefirst output 342 of thesplitter 34, the operation of saidsplitter 34 is the same, splitting the power of said modified signal in two, with the modified signal exiting through each of theinputs splitter 34, but with half the power. Similarly, when the first signal or the second signal modified in thesecond sensing branch 33 reaches thesecond output 343 of thesplitter 34, thesplitter 34 splits the power of said modified signal in two, with the modified signal exiting through each of theinputs splitter 34, but with half the power. - The first optical fiber winding 320 of the
first sensing branch 32 and the second optical fiber winding 330 of thesecond sensing branch 33 comprise the same number of turns that are, however, wound in opposite directions. In other words, one of the optical fiber windings will be wound clockwise, whereas the other optical fiber winding will be wound anticlockwise, obtaining a sensing portion comprising two optical fiber windings of the same length but arranged opposite one another. Since the first optical fiber winding 320 and the second optical fiber winding 330 have the same length, they exhibit the same response in the deviation of light polarization, but since the windings are arranged in opposite directions, said responses are in phase opposition, i.e., they are offset by 180 degrees. - This configuration allows determining the current circulating through the conductor 4 in a very precise manner, particularly at values in which the current circulating through the conductor 4 is low and therefore the signal/noise ratio is high, given that this configuration allows for good noise cancelation without having to use filters to eliminate said noise. Likewise, obtaining good noise elimination offers very good measurements of the conductors 4 through which direct current circulates and in which filters cannot be used. Furthermore, by processing the signals obtained in the
first receiver 22 and in thesecond receiver 23, it is possible to obtain a precise calculation of thefiber twist 301 of thefirst input branch 30 and of the attenuations α1, α2, αm1, and αm2 caused by the different connection fibers of themeasuring equipment 1. - In this first embodiment, the
interrogator 2 comprises afirst circulator 24 connecting thefirst emitter 20 and thefirst receiver 22 of theinterrogator 2 to thefirst input branch 30 of the sensing portion 3. Furthermore, in this first embodiment thefirst circulator 24 and thefirst input branch 30 of the sensing portion 3 are connected through a firstintermediate fiber 60, as observed inFIG. 1 . Thefirst circulator 24 therefore couples the signal emitted by thefirst emitter 20 to thefirst input branch 30 of the sensing portion 3 through the firstintermediate fiber 60. Thefirst circulator 24 also couples the signal modified in the sensing portion 3 to thefirst receiver 22 through the firstintermediate fiber 60. - Similarly, in this first embodiment the
interrogator 2 comprises asecond circulator 25 connecting thesecond emitter 21 and thesecond receiver 23 of theinterrogator 2 to thesecond input branch 31 of the sensing portion 3. Furthermore, in this first embodiment thesecond circulator 25 and thesecond input branch 31 of the sensing portion 3 are connected through a secondintermediate fiber 61, as observed inFIG. 1 . Thesecond circulator 25 therefore couples the signal emitted by thesecond emitter 21 to thesecond input branch 31 of the sensing portion 3 through the secondintermediate fiber 61. Thesecond circulator 25 also couples the signal modified in the sensing portion 3 to thesecond receiver 23 through the secondintermediate fiber 61. - Preferably, the first
intermediate fiber 60 and the secondintermediate fiber 61 are standard single-mode (SM) fibers. To enable joining theinterrogator 2 with the sensing portion 3 through standard single-mode typeintermediate fibers first emitter 20 and the signal emitted by thesecond emitter 21 is a signal made up of a set of at least two polarized light pulses, said polarized pulses having a specific difference in degrees, said difference in polarization preferably being 90 degrees. In other words, preferably thefirst emitter 20 and thesecond emitter 21 of theinterrogator 2 are configured for emitting signals comprising a set of at least two polarized light pulses, said polarized pulses having a specific difference in degrees. To that end, thefirst emitter 20 and thesecond emitter 21 of theinterrogator 2 can be of any type described in patent document WO2016198575A1 or of any other type known to the person skilled in the art and complying with the requirements described above. - As described in patent document WO2016198575A1, if standard single-
mode fibers interrogator 2 with the sensing portion 3, these fibers can vary the characteristics of the light signal emitted from the emitter, for example in the polarization thereof. Said intermediate fibers can modify light polarization due to different aspects, such as the temperature of said fibers, the vibrations they undergo, etc. The emission of signals made up of sets of at least two polarized light pulses, said polarized pulses having a specific difference in degrees, means that the measuring equipment can compensate for alterations in polarization caused by the intermediate fibers. The polarized light pulses of the set of pulses can be simultaneous or can be emitted within a small time interval between said pulses, given that it is thereby assured that the behavior of the intermediate fiber is the same for all the pulses of the set of pulses. Therefore, as explained in patent document WO2016198575A1, since the characteristics of the intermediate fiber do not affect current measurement, an intermediate fiber of the required length can be used. It is therefore possible to arrange the sensing portion 3 and theinterrogator 2 at a distance of several kilometers without the measurement being affected by saidintermediate fibers interrogator 2 in said locations which may not comply with the requirements necessary for the operation of said interrogators, for example, or may not have a reliable power supply. - As mentioned above, the
first input branch 30 of the sensing portion 3 comprises afiber twist 301. Ideally, saidfiber twist 301 is about 45 degrees. As described in European patent application EP18196585.6, belonging to the same applicant and incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, with a 45-degree rotation the quadratic terms of the signals used for calculating the current circulating through the conductor 4 are cancelled. Therefore, the sensitivity of themeasuring equipment 1 is maximized, in addition to providing phase information. - In this first embodiment, the
fiber 312 connecting thesecond polarizer 310 to thesplitter 34 does not provide any rotation to the signal going through same. In other possible embodiments not shown in the drawings, the second input branch may comprise an additional fiber twist after the second polarizer, the sum of the fiber twist of the first input branch and the additional fiber twist of the second input branch preferably being about 45 degrees. - In the method of the invention applied to this first embodiment, the
first emitter 20 emits a first signal which reaches thefirst sensing branch 32 through thefirst input branch 30, travels along saidfirst sensing branch 32 and is modified depending on the current circulating through the conductor 4, and is received by thesecond receiver 23 from thesecond input branch 31. Furthermore, thesecond emitter 21 emits a second signal which reaches thefirst sensing branch 32 through thesecond input branch 31, travels along thefirst sensing branch 32 and is modified depending on the current circulating through the conductor 4, and is received by thefirst receiver 22 from thefirst input branch 30. - Moreover, said first signal emitted by the
first emitter 20 also reaches thesecond sensing branch 33 through thefirst input branch 30, and said second signal emitted by thesecond emitter 21 also reaches thesecond sensing branch 33 through thesecond input branch 31. The first signal and the second signal travel along saidsecond sensing branch 33 and are modified depending on the current circulating through the conductor 4. Thesecond receiver 23 receives from thesecond input branch 31 the first signal modified in thesecond sensing branch 33, whereas thefirst receiver 22 receives from thefirst input branch 30 the second signal modified in thesecond sensing branch 33. - Therefore, the current circulating through the conductor 4 is determined by combining the first signal modified in the
first sensing branch 32 and received by thesecond receiver 23, the second signal modified in thefirst sensing branch 32 and received by thefirst receiver 22, the first signal modified in thesecond sensing branch 33 and received by thesecond receiver 23, and the second signal modified in thesecond sensing branch 33 and received by thefirst receiver 22. - In the context of the invention, self signal will be considered that signal which is emitted by the
first emitter 20 and received by thefirst receiver 22 after being reflected in the sensing portion 3, and that signal which is emitted by thesecond emitter 21 and received by thesecond receiver 23 after being reflected in the sensing portion 3. In contrast, cross signal will be considered that signal which is emitted by thefirst emitter 20 and received by thesecond receiver 23 after being reflected in the sensing portion 3, and that signal which is emitted by thesecond emitter 21 and received by thefirst receiver 22 after being reflected in the sensing portion 3. - Therefore, cross signals are used for determining the current circulating through the conductor 4, whereas self signals, which will also reach the
first receiver 22 and thesecond receiver 23, are rejected. - In this first embodiment, the
first receiver 22 and thesecond receiver 23 comprise a respective photodiode. As mentioned above, thefirst receiver 22 will receive the second signal modified in thefirst sensing branch 32 and in thesecond sensing branch 33, whereas thesecond receiver 23 will receive the first signal modified in thefirst sensing branch 32 and in thesecond sensing branch 33. The photodiodes convert light into intensity, such that the control unit, not shown in the drawings, can determine the current circulating through the conductor 4 by processing and combining the intensity it receives from the photodiode of thefirst receiver 22 and the intensity it receives from the photodiode of thesecond receiver 23. - On one hand, there are the two cross signals which have been modified in the first optical fiber winding 320 of the first sensing branch 32:
-
R 12=αm1 P 12[cos2(2γφ)sin2θd+γ2 sin2(2γφ)cos2θd−2γ sin(2γφ)cos(2γφ)cos θd sin θd] -
R 21=αm1 P 21[cos2(2γφ)sin2θd+γ2 sin2(2γφ)cos2θd+2γ sin(2γφ)cos(2γφ)cos θd sin θd] - On the other hand, there are the two cross signals which have been modified in the second optical fiber winding 330 of the second sensing branch 33:
-
Q 12=αm2 P 12[cos2(2γφ)sin2θd+γ2 sin2(2γφ)cos2θd+2γ sin(2γφ)cos(2γφ)cos θd sin θd] -
Q 21=αm2 P 21[cos2(2γφ)sin2θd+γ2 sin2(2γφ)cos2θd−2γ sin(2γφ)cos(2γφ)cos θd sin θd] - R12=The light intensity measured by the
second receiver 23 relative to the first signal modified in thefirst sensing branch 32.
R21=The light intensity measured by thefirst receiver 22 relative to the second signal modified in thefirst sensing branch 32.
Q12=The light intensity measured by thesecond receiver 23 relative to the first signal modified in thesecond sensing branch 33.
Q21=The light intensity measured by thefirst receiver 22 relative to the second signal modified in thesecond sensing branch 33.
αm1 The attenuation of thefirst sensing branch 32.
αm2=The attenuation of thesecond sensing branch 33. -
P12=P 1α1α2 R 2 - Where:
- P1=Power of the light emitted by the
first emitter 20
α1=Attenuation offibers
α2=Attenuation offibers
R2=Receiving gain of thesecond receiver 23. -
P21=P 2α2α1 R 1 - Where:
- P2=Power of the light emitted by the
second emitter 21
α1=Attenuation offibers
α2=Attenuation offibers
R1=Receiving gain of thefirst receiver 22. -
-
-
- δc=circular birefringence of the fiber of optical fiber winding 320 and 330
ψ=rotation of the fiber of optical fiber winding 320 and 330
δl=linear birefringence of the fiber of optical fiber winding 320 and 330
- δc=circular birefringence of the fiber of optical fiber winding 320 and 330
-
- is always true, it means that γ is approximately 1 in all cases.
-
φ=V*B*l - V=Verdet constant of the optical fiber at the working wavelength
-
- B=the magnetic field generated by the conductor 4.
- l=the length of optical fiber winding 320 and 330.
Θd=The rotation provided byfiber twist 301 of thefirst input branch 30.
- The following relations can be obtained by performing subtraction, addition, and square root operations on these equations:
-
[√{square root over (R 21)}−√{square root over (Q 21)}]+[√{square root over (Q 12)}−√{square root over (R 12)}]=√{square root over ((αm1+αm2)(P 21 +P 12))}sin(2φ)cos θd+√{square root over ((αm1−αm2)(P 21 −P 12))}cos(2φ)senθ d -
[√{square root over (R 21)}−√{square root over (R 12)}]+[√{square root over (Q 12)}−√{square root over (Q 21)}]=√{square root over ((αm1+αm2)(P 21 +P 12))}sin(2φ)cos θd+√{square root over ((αm1−αm2)(P 21 −P 12))}cos(2φ)senθ d - Taking into account that:
-
αm1≈αm2=αm -
P 12 ≈P 21 =P -
γ≈1 - The error term has a double-zero coefficient (αm1−αm2)(P12−P21). Therefore, if it is assumed that (αm1−αm2)(P12−P21)≈0, the following final calculations for the signal are obtained:
-
- Based on these formulas, value B relative to the magnetic field generated around the conductor 4 can be obtained, and therefore the intensity circulating through said conductor 4 can be determined in a very precise manner.
- To enable performing said calculation, the αmP value will be obtained from the following formulas:
-
- As can be observed in the formulas which refer to the final calculation of the signal, the current measurement depends on the
fiber twist 301. The value of thefiber twist 301 is defined in the manufacturing process, but it can undergo small variations during use of themeasuring equipment 1. For this reason, if there is a need to perform a very precise calculation of the current of the conductor 4, it is advisable to gradually adapt the value of saidfiber twist 301 to prevent error terms from being generated. Said value can also be calculated by means of the two cross signals which have been modified in the first optical fiber winding 320 of thefirst sensing branch 32. - As can be observed, quadratic terms are not seen in the equations obtained for the calculation of the current circulating through the conductor 4. This occurs as a result of the symmetrical double measurement performed, i.e., as a result of the combination of the cross signals. As described in European patent application EP18196585.6, belonging to the same applicant and incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, with the symmetry of the cross signals of each sensing
branch fiber twist 301 is not 45 degrees, obtaining a resulting signal which maintains the shape of the signal and therefore allows obtaining the desired information. In the case of the present invention, since the first optical fiber winding 320 and the second optical fiber winding 330 have the same length, they exhibit the same response in the deviation of light polarization, but in phase opposition. Therefore, instead of having two cross signals to perform calculation of the current like in the case of document EP18196585.6, 4 cross signals are obtained, from which a more precise calculation of the current circulating through the conductor 4 can be obtained, given that the error term has a double-zero coefficient (αm1−αm2)(P12−P21). Furthermore, having these four cross signals allows performing a good assessment of the attenuations of the connection fibers and the attenuations of the sensing branches, and it also allows adjusting thefiber twist 301. A very precise current measurement with a high dynamic range is thus obtained. - As mentioned above, preferably both the signal emitted by the
first emitter 20 and the signal emitted by thesecond emitter 21 is a signal made up of a set of at least two polarized light pulses, said polarized pulses having a specific difference in degrees, said difference in polarization preferably being 90 degrees. The emission of signals of this type allows compensating for possible changes in light polarization caused by theintermediate fibers interrogator 2 with the sensing portion 3. -
FIG. 2 shows a second embodiment of themeasuring equipment 1. - The measuring
equipment 1 of the second embodiment differs from the measuringequipment 1 of the first embodiment in that the sensing portion 3 also comprises anoutput branch 35. Saidoutput branch 35 is coupled to thefirst input branch 30 and thesecond input branch 31 by means of thesplitter 34. The rest of the configuration of themeasuring equipment 1 is similar to that of the first embodiment so it is not considered necessary to describe it again. - The
output branch 35 of this second embodiment is configured for returning the same signal it receives to thesplitter 34. Therefore, signals from thefirst input branch 30 and thesecond input branch 31 reach theoutput branch 35 through thesplitter 34, are reflected in theoutput branch 35, and return to thefirst input branch 30 and thesecond input branch 31 through thesplitter 34. The signals reflected in theoutput branch 35 and received in thefirst receiver 22 andsecond receiver 23 allow adjusting some parameters required for performing a precise calculation of the current circulating through the conductor 4 in a more direct manner than by adjusting said values using only the cross signals of thefirst sensing branch 32 and thesecond sensing branch 33. - Therefore, the
output branch 35 offers additional information for an even better adjustment of the different parameters when calculating the current circulating through the conductor 4, improving the dynamic range of themeasuring equipment 1. - For the
output branch 35 to reflect/return the same signal it receives, one of the options would simply be to make a “clean” cut on the actual corresponding output terminal 344 of the splitter, such that said cut would cause the signal to rebound in theoutput terminal 343 due to the sudden change in the refractive index which said cut would cause. Another option would be to place aconventional mirror 350, as shown inFIG. 2 . In other possible embodiments, the signal can be returned in any other way known to the person skilled in the art, provided that the signal returned by the output branch is the same as the one received by said output branch. - In the embodiments in which the measuring equipment comprises an output branch in addition to the two sensing branches, it may be necessary for the first sensing branch to comprise a delaying element between the first optical fiber winding and the first Faraday mirror, the delaying element of first the sensing branch and the delaying element of the second sensing branch being different from one another to enable the receivers of the interrogator to manage the signals from the sensing branches and the output branch. In any case, the delaying element between the first optical fiber winding 320 and the
first Faraday mirror 321 is dispensable if the fiber with which said first optical fiber winding 320 is made is long enough so as to delay the signals travelling along saidfirst sensing branch 32 as much as possible so that thereceivers interrogator 2 can manage the signals from the two sensingbranches output branch 35, as shown in the embodiment ofFIG. 2 . - In the method of the invention applied to this second embodiment, the
first emitter 20 emits a first signal which reaches thefirst sensing branch 32 through thefirst input branch 30, travels along saidfirst sensing branch 32 and is modified depending on the current circulating through the conductor 4, and is received by thesecond receiver 23 from thesecond input branch 31. Furthermore, thesecond emitter 21 emits a second signal which reaches thefirst sensing branch 32 through thesecond input branch 31, travels along thefirst sensing branch 32 and is modified depending on the current circulating through the conductor 4, and is received by thefirst receiver 22 from thefirst input branch 30. - Moreover, said first signal emitted by the
first emitter 20 also reaches thesecond sensing branch 33 through thefirst input branch 30, and said second signal emitted by thesecond emitter 21 also reaches thesecond sensing branch 33 through thesecond input branch 31. The first signal and the second signal travel along saidsecond sensing branch 33 and are modified depending on the current circulating through the conductor 4. Thesecond receiver 23 receives from thesecond input branch 31 the first signal modified in thesecond sensing branch 33, whereas thefirst receiver 22 receives from thefirst input branch 30 the second signal modified in thesecond sensing branch 33. - Furthermore, the signal emitted by the
first emitter 20 reaches theoutput branch 35 through thefirst input branch 30, is reflected in saidoutput branch 35, and is received by thefirst receiver 22 from thefirst input branch 30 and by thesecond receiver 23 from thesecond input branch 31, and the signal emitted by thesecond emitter 21 reaches theoutput branch 35 through thesecond input branch 31, is reflected in saidoutput branch 35, and is received by thefirst receiver 22 from thefirst input branch 30 and by thesecond receiver 23 from thesecond input branch 31. - Like in the method applied to the first embodiment, the current circulating through the conductor 4 is determined by combining the first signal modified in the
first sensing branch 32 and received by thesecond receiver 23, the second signal modified in thefirst sensing branch 32 and received by thefirst receiver 22, the first signal modified in thesecond sensing branch 33 and received by thesecond receiver 23, and the second signal modified in thesecond sensing branch 33 and received by thefirst receiver 22. - This case involves the signals reflected in the
output branch 35 in addition to the cross signals described in the first embodiment. In the case of the signals reflected in theoutput branch 35, both self signals and cross signals are used. These signals offer additional information for an even better adjustment of the different parameters while calculating the current, improving the dynamic range of themeasuring equipment 1. - Specifically, these signals can be used for adjusting variations in the
fiber twist 301 through the following formula: -
- E11=The light intensity measured by the
first receiver 22 relative to the first signal reflected in theoutput branch 35.
E12=The light intensity measured by thesecond receiver 23 relative to the first signal reflected in theoutput branch 35.
E22=The light intensity measured by thesecond receiver 23 relative to the second signal reflected in theoutput branch 35.
E21=The light intensity measured by thefirst receiver 22 relative to the second signal reflected in theoutput branch 35. - The signals reflected in the
output branch 35 can also be used for determining the attenuations α1, α2, αm1, and αm2 caused by the different fibers of themeasuring equipment 1. -
FIG. 3 shows a third embodiment of themeasuring equipment 1. - The measuring
equipment 1 of the third embodiment comprises aninterrogator 2 comprising afirst emitter 20 and asecond emitter 21. Theinterrogator 2 also comprises afirst receiver 22 and asecond receiver 23. - Furthermore, the measuring
equipment 1 of the third embodiment comprises a sensing portion 3 connected to theinterrogator 2 and configured for being arranged in the proximity of the conductor 4. - The sensing portion 3 of this third embodiment comprises a
first input branch 30 comprising afirst polarizer 300 and afiber twist 301 after saidfirst polarizer 300, and asecond input branch 31 comprising asecond polarizer 310. The sensing portion 3 also comprises at least afirst sensing branch 32 comprising a sensing section arranged in the proximity of the conductor 4 and afirst Faraday mirror 321. Preferably, the sensing section of thesensing branch 32 is an optical fiber winding 320 arranged around the conductor 4, as shown inFIG. 3 . In other possible embodiments not shown in the drawings, the sensing section can be made in other ways known to the person skilled in the art. - In other possible embodiments not shown in the drawings, it may be necessary to arrange a delaying element between the first optical fiber winding and the first Faraday mirror if the fiber with which said first optical fiber winding is made is not long enough so as to delay the signals travelling along the first sensing branch as much as possible to enable the receivers of the interrogator to manage the signals from the sensing branch and the output branch.
- The
first input branch 30 and thesecond input branch 31 are coupled to thesensing branch 32 by means of asplitter 34. - The sensing portion 3 of the third embodiment also comprises an
output branch 35 coupled to thefirst input branch 30 and thesecond input branch 31 by means of thesplitter 34, saidoutput branch 35 being configured for returning the same signal it receives to thesplitter 34. Theoutput branch 35 of this configuration would be similar to theoutput branch 35 of the second embodiment shown inFIG. 2 described above. - This third embodiment of the
measuring equipment 1 allows obtaining a precise current measurement. On one hand, having afirst input branch 30 and asecond input branch 31 allows performing a symmetrical reading in which, by combining the cross signals modified in thefirst sensing branch 32, the quadratic terms of the signal are annulled, as explained in application EP18196585.6. On the other hand, theoutput branch 35 offers additional information for adjusting thefiber twist 301 and the attenuations α1, α2, and αm1 caused by the different connection fibers of themeasuring equipment 1, improving the dynamic range of themeasuring equipment 1. - In the method of the invention applied to this third embodiment, the
first emitter 20 emits a first signal which reaches thefirst sensing branch 32 through thefirst input branch 30, travels along saidfirst sensing branch 32 and is modified depending on the current circulating through the conductor 4, and is received by thesecond receiver 23 from thesecond input branch 31. Furthermore, thesecond emitter 21 emits a second signal which reaches thefirst sensing branch 32 through thesecond input branch 31, travels along thefirst sensing branch 32 and is modified depending on the current circulating through the conductor 4, and is received by thefirst receiver 22 from thefirst input branch 30. - Furthermore, the signal emitted by the
first emitter 20 reaches theoutput branch 35 through thefirst input branch 30, is reflected in saidoutput branch 35, and is received by thefirst receiver 22 from thefirst input branch 30 and by thesecond receiver 23 from thesecond input branch 31, and the signal emitted by thesecond emitter 21 reaches theoutput branch 35 through thesecond input branch 31, is reflected in theconventional mirror 350, and is received by thefirst receiver 22 from thefirst input branch 30 and by thesecond receiver 23 from thesecond input branch 31. - The current circulating through the conductor 4 is determined by combining the first signal modified in the
first sensing branch 32 and received by thesecond receiver 23 and the second signal modified in thefirst sensing branch 32 and received by thefirst receiver 22. The signals reflected in theoutput branch 35 offer additional information for adjusting the different parameters while calculating the current, improving the dynamic range of themeasuring equipment 1. - The following clauses represent additional embodiments.
-
Clause 1. Optical fiber-based measuring equipment for measuring the current circulating through at least one conductor 4, the measuringequipment 1 comprising - an
interrogator 2 comprising afirst emitter 20, asecond emitter 21, afirst receiver 22, and asecond receiver 23, and
a sensing portion 3 connected to theinterrogator 2 and configured for being arranged in the proximity of the conductor 4, the sensing portion 3 comprising
afirst input branch 30 comprising afirst polarizer 300 and afiber twist 301 after saidfirst polarizer 300,
asecond input branch 31 comprising asecond polarizer 310,
afirst sensing branch 32 comprising a first optical fiber winding 320 configured for being arranged in the proximity of the conductor 4 and afirst Faraday mirror 321, and
asecond sensing branch 33 comprising a second optical fiber winding 330 configured for being arranged in the proximity of the conductor 4, asecond Faraday mirror 331, and adelaying element 332 between the second optical fiber winding 330 and thesecond Faraday mirror 331, thefirst input branch 30 and thesecond input branch 31 being coupled to thefirst sensing branch 32 and to thesecond sensing branch 33 by means of asplitter 34,
the first optical fiber winding 320 and the second optical fiber winding 330 comprise the same number of turns that are, however, wound in opposite directions. -
Clause 2. Measuring equipment according toclause 1, comprising anoutput branch 35 coupled to thefirst input branch 30 and thesecond input branch 31 by means of thesplitter 34, saidoutput branch 35 being configured for returning the same signal it receives to thesplitter 34. - Clause 3. Measuring equipment according to
clause 2, wherein theoutput branch 35 comprises aconventional mirror 350. - Clause 4. Measuring equipment according to
clause 2 or 3, wherein thefirst sensing branch 32 comprises a delaying element between the first optical fiber winding 320 and thefirst Faraday mirror 321, the delaying element of first thesensing branch 32 and thedelaying element 332 of thesecond sensing branch 33 being different from one another. - Clause 5. Measuring equipment according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein the
fiber twist 301 of thefirst input branch 30 is about 45 degrees. - Clause 6. Measuring equipment according to any of
clauses 1 to 4, wherein thesecond input branch 31 comprises an additional fiber twist after thesecond polarizer 310, the sum of thefiber twist 301 of thefirst input branch 30 and the additional fiber twist of thesecond input branch 31 preferably being about 45 degrees. - Clause 7. Method for measuring the current circulating through at least one conductor 4 with optical fiber-based
measuring equipment 1, the measuringequipment 1 comprising - an
interrogator 2 comprising afirst emitter 20, asecond emitter 21, afirst receiver 22, and asecond receiver 23, and
a sensing portion 3 connected to theinterrogator 2 and configured for being arranged in the proximity of the conductor 4, the sensing portion 3 comprising
afirst input branch 30 comprising afirst polarizer 300 and afiber twist 301 after saidfirst polarizer 300,
asecond input branch 31 comprising asecond polarizer 310,
afirst sensing branch 32 comprising a first optical fiber winding 320 arranged in the proximity of the conductor 4 and afirst Faraday mirror 321, and
asecond sensing branch 33 comprising a second optical fiber winding 330 arranged in the proximity of the conductor 4, asecond Faraday mirror 331, and adelaying element 332 between the second optical fiber winding 330 and thesecond Faraday mirror 331,
thefirst input branch 30 and thesecond input branch 31 being coupled to thefirst sensing branch 32 and to thesecond sensing branch 33 by means of asplitter 34, and
the first optical fiber winding 320 and the second optical fiber winding 330 comprising the same number of turns that are, however, wound in opposite directions, in the method
thefirst emitter 20 emits a first signal which reaches thefirst sensing branch 32 through thefirst input branch 30, travels along thefirst sensing branch 32 and is modified depending on the current circulating through the conductor 4, and is received by thesecond receiver 23 from thesecond input branch 31,
thesecond emitter 21 emits a second signal which reaches thefirst sensing branch 32 through thesecond input branch 31, travels along thefirst sensing branch 32 and is modified depending on the current circulating through the conductor 4, and is received by thefirst receiver 22 from thefirst input branch 30,
the first signal also reaches thesecond sensing branch 33 through thefirst input branch 30, and the second signal also reaches thesecond sensing branch 33 through thesecond input branch 31,
the first signal and the second signal travel along saidsecond sensing branch 33 and are modified depending on the current circulating through the conductor 4, and
thesecond receiver 23 receives from thesecond input branch 31 the first signal modified in thesecond sensing branch 33, thefirst receiver 22 also receiving from thefirst input branch 30 the second signal modified in thesecond sensing branch 33,
the current circulating through the conductor 4 being determined by combining the first signal modified in thefirst sensing branch 32 and received by thesecond receiver 23, the second signal modified in thefirst sensing branch 32 and received by thefirst receiver 22, the first signal modified in thesecond sensing branch 33 and received by thesecond receiver 23, and the second signal modified in thesecond sensing branch 33 and received by thefirst receiver 22. - Clause 8. Method according to clause 7, wherein the sensing portion 3 comprises an
output branch 35 configured for returning the same signal it receives, thefirst input branch 30 and thesecond input branch 31 also being coupled to theoutput branch 35 by means of asplitter 34, wherein - the signal emitted by the
first emitter 20 reaches theoutput branch 35 through thefirst input branch 30, is reflected in saidoutput branch 35, and is received by thefirst receiver 22 from thefirst input branch 30 and by thesecond receiver 23 from thesecond input branch 31, and the signal emitted by thesecond emitter 21 reaches theoutput branch 35 through thesecond input branch 31, is reflected in theconventional mirror 350, and is received by thefirst receiver 22 from thefirst input branch 30 and by thesecond receiver 23 from thesecond input branch 31,
the signals reflected in theoutput branch 35 being used to enable continuously adjusting the value of thefiber twist 301. - Clause 9. Optical fiber-based measuring equipment for measuring the current circulating through at least one conductor 4, the measuring
equipment 1 comprising - an
interrogator 2 comprising afirst emitter 20, asecond emitter 21, afirst receiver 22, and asecond receiver 23, and
a sensing portion 3 connected to theinterrogator 2 and configured for being arranged in the proximity of the conductor 4, the sensing portion 3 comprising
afirst input branch 30 comprising afirst polarizer 300 and afiber twist 301 after saidfirst polarizer 300,
asecond input branch 31 comprising asecond polarizer 310, and
at least onesensing branch 32 comprising a sensing section arranged in the proximity of the conductor 4 and aFaraday mirror 321,
thefirst input branch 30 and thesecond input branch 31 being coupled to thesensing branch 32 by means of asplitter 34,
the sensing portion 3 also comprises
anoutput branch 35 coupled to thefirst input branch 30 and thesecond input branch 31 by means of thesplitter 34, saidoutput branch 35 being configured for returning the same signal it receives to thesplitter 34. - Clause 10. Measuring equipment according to clause 9, wherein the
output branch 35 comprises aconventional mirror 350. - Clause 11. Measuring equipment according to clause 9 or 10, wherein the sensing section of the
sensing branch 32 is an optical fiber winding 320 arranged around the conductor 4. - Clause 12. Measuring equipment according to clause 11, wherein the sensing portion 3 comprises a
second sensing branch 33 comprising a second sensing section arranged in the proximity of the conductor 4, asecond Faraday mirror 331, and adelaying element 332 between the second sensing section and thesecond Faraday mirror 331, thefirst input branch 30 and thesecond input branch 31 being coupled to thesecond sensing branch 33 by means of thesplitter 34, the second sensing section of thesecond sensing branch 33 being a second optical fiber winding 330 arranged around the conductor 4, the optical fiber winding 320 of the sensing section and the second optical fiber winding 330 of the second sensing section comprising the same number of turns that are, however, wound in opposite directions. - Clause 13. Method for measuring the current circulating through at least one conductor 4 with optical fiber-based
measuring equipment 1, the measuringequipment 1 comprising - an
interrogator 2 comprising afirst emitter 20, asecond emitter 21, afirst receiver 22, and asecond receiver 23, and
a sensing portion 3 connected to theinterrogator 2 and configured for being arranged in the proximity of the conductor 4, the sensing portion 3 comprising
afirst input branch 30 comprising afirst polarizer 300 and afiber twist 301 after saidfirst polarizer 300,
asecond input branch 31 comprising asecond polarizer 310,
at least onesensing branch 32 comprising a sensing section arranged in the proximity of the conductor 4 and aFaraday mirror 321, and
anoutput branch 35 configured for returning the same signal it receives,
thefirst input branch 30 and thesecond input branch 31 being coupled to thesensing branch 32 and to theoutput branch 35 by means of asplitter 34,
in the method
thefirst emitter 20 emits a first signal which reaches thesensing branch 32 through thefirst input branch 30, travels along thesensing branch 32 and is modified depending on the current circulating through the conductor 4, and is received by thesecond receiver 23 from thesecond input branch 31,
thesecond emitter 21 emits a second signal which reaches thesensing branch 32 through thesecond input branch 31, travels along thesensing branch 32 and is modified depending on the current circulating through the conductor 4, and is received by thefirst receiver 22 from thefirst input branch 30,
wherein the signal emitted by thefirst emitter 20 reaches theoutput branch 35 through thefirst input branch 30, is reflected in saidoutput branch 35, and is received by thefirst receiver 22 from thefirst input branch 30 and by thesecond receiver 23 from thesecond input branch 31, and
the signal emitted by thesecond emitter 21 reaches theoutput branch 35 through thesecond input branch 31, is reflected in theoutput branch 35, and is received by thefirst receiver 22 from thefirst input branch 30 and by thesecond receiver 23 from thesecond input branch 31, the current circulating through the conductor 4 being determined by combining the first signal modified in thesensing branch 32 and received by thesecond receiver 23, and the second signal modified in thesensing branch 32 and received by thefirst receiver 22,
the signals reflected in theoutput branch 35 being used to enable continuously adjusting the value of thefiber twist 301 and/or the attenuations α1, α2, αm1, and αm2 caused by the different connection fibers of themeasuring equipment 1. - Clause 14. Method according to clause 13, wherein the sensing section is an optical fiber winding 320 arranged around the conductor 4.
- Clause 15. Method according to clause 14, wherein the sensing portion 3 comprises a
second sensing branch 33 comprising a second sensing section arranged in the proximity of the conductor 4, asecond Faraday mirror 331, and adelaying element 332 between the second sensing section and thesecond Faraday mirror 331, thefirst branch 30 and thesecond branch 31 being coupled to thesecond sensing branch 33 by means of asplitter 34, the second sensing section being a second optical fiber winding 330 arranged around the conductor 4, the optical fiber winding 320 of the sensing section and the second optical fiber winding 330 of the second sensing section comprising the same number of turns that are, however, wound in opposite directions, wherein - the first signal also reaches the
second sensing branch 33 through thefirst input branch 30, and the second signal also reaches thesecond sensing branch 33 through thesecond input branch 31,
the first signal and the second signal travel along saidsecond sensing branch 33 and are modified depending on the current circulating through the conductor 4, and
thesecond receiver 23 receives from thesecond input branch 31 the first signal modified in thesecond sensing branch 33, thefirst receiver 22 also receiving from thefirst input branch 30 the second signal modified in thesecond sensing branch 33,
the current circulating through the conductor 4 being determined by combining the first signal modified in thesensing branch 32 and received by thesecond receiver 23, the second signal modified in thesensing branch 32 and received by thefirst receiver 22, the first signal modified in thesecond sensing branch 33 and received by thesecond receiver 23, the second signal modified in thesecond sensing branch 33 and received by thefirst receiver 22.
Claims (11)
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EP19382824.1A EP3798643B1 (en) | 2019-09-25 | 2019-09-25 | Optical fiber-based current measuring equipment for measuring the current circulating through a conductor and associated method |
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JPS57184975A (en) * | 1981-05-09 | 1982-11-13 | Mitsubishi Electric Corp | Photo measuring device |
JPH01292263A (en) * | 1988-05-19 | 1989-11-24 | Toshiba Corp | Optical fiber current measuring apparatus |
DE4227903C1 (en) * | 1992-08-22 | 1993-07-22 | Felten & Guilleaume Energietechnik Ag, 5000 Koeln, De | |
DE59502268D1 (en) * | 1994-08-23 | 1998-06-25 | Siemens Ag | METHOD AND ARRANGEMENT FOR MEASURING ELECTRICAL CURRENTS FROM AT LEAST TWO MEASURING RANGES |
JPH08226939A (en) * | 1995-02-21 | 1996-09-03 | Hitachi Ltd | Optical current transformer |
ATE258733T1 (en) * | 1996-09-05 | 2004-02-15 | Swisscom Ag | QUANTUM CRYPTOGRAPHIC DEVICE AND METHOD |
WO1999008120A1 (en) * | 1997-08-12 | 1999-02-18 | Siemens Aktiengesellschaft | Method for measuring a magnetic field and device for carrying out said method |
US6301400B1 (en) * | 1998-11-12 | 2001-10-09 | Nxtphase Technologies Srl | Fiber optic current sensor having rotation immunity |
US6515467B1 (en) * | 1998-12-22 | 2003-02-04 | Siemens Aktiengesellschaft | Method and system for optically detecting an electric current by means of light signals having different wavelengths |
TWI278638B (en) * | 2005-09-20 | 2007-04-11 | Hermann Lin | Fiber-optics multiplexed interferometric current sensor |
CN101952686B (en) * | 2008-02-22 | 2014-07-02 | 智能数字光学有限公司 | Sensing coil and sensing unit for sagnac optical fibre current sensor |
US8655115B2 (en) * | 2009-05-25 | 2014-02-18 | Pusan National University Industry-University Cooperation Foundation | Integrated polymer optical waveguide current sensor |
CN102539873B (en) * | 2012-01-10 | 2013-12-25 | 中国科学院西安光学精密机械研究所 | Coil of optical fiber current sensor and optical fiber current sensor |
CN203011982U (en) * | 2012-12-20 | 2013-06-19 | 中国科学院西安光学精密机械研究所 | Sensing optical fiber ring and all-fiber current transformer |
EP3104183A1 (en) | 2015-06-10 | 2016-12-14 | Lumiker Aplicaciones Tecnologicas S.L. | Current measuring equipment based on optical fiber for measuring the current circulating through a conductor and the associated method |
CN106645911A (en) * | 2016-12-28 | 2017-05-10 | 易能乾元(北京)电力科技有限公司 | All-fiber current transformer for open loop independent double-sampling circuit based on single light path |
EP3598149A1 (en) * | 2018-07-19 | 2020-01-22 | Lumiker Aplicaciones Tecnologicas S.L. | Method for measuring the current circulating through at least one conductor with optical fiber-based measuring equipment, and measuring equipment |
-
2019
- 2019-09-25 EP EP19382824.1A patent/EP3798643B1/en active Active
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- 2020-09-23 US US17/029,399 patent/US20210088559A1/en not_active Abandoned
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